


Irrevocable

by dnofsunshine



Series: HoM verse [2]
Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Alternative Title: The Fic Which I Will Post Here in Hopes of Renewing My Inspiration, Anxiety, Blood, Closure, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Healing, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Finds Out, Explicit Language, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hell over Me Spoilers, Hikari is a good pal, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, Insomnia, Let's face it Yamato is Takeru's real parent here, Mimi is also much good, Nightmares, Ok everyone's much good you caught me, Ok you get the point I'm not tagging everyone but everyone has some kind of role lol, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overprotective Big Brother Taichi, Overprotective Big Brother Yamato, Panic Attacks, Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Secrets, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Sequel to Hell over Me but like not really, Sleep Deprivation, Soul Bond, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Takaishida - Freeform, honestly Daisuke too, i mean have you seen the reboot?, slow healing, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27018529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnofsunshine/pseuds/dnofsunshine
Summary: Out of all the tragedies and horrors he experienced and witnessed as a Chosen Child, nothing haunted Takeru more than this. Collection of interconnected stories set during/after the events of"Hell over Me."Trigger warning. Please read the tags and be safe!
Relationships: Ishida Yamato | Matt Ishida & Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi, Patamon & Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi & Chosen Children | DigiDestined, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi & Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya
Series: HoM verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607956
Comments: 7
Kudos: 20





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GreenSpaghetti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenSpaghetti/gifts).



> hehe. so uh. this only has 14 published parts so far, but maybe posting & getting feedback here might inspire me to continue? perhaps? enjoy!

**setting:** between ch 23-24

* * *

Yamato did not want to sit still.

He did not want to be in the digital world, let alone in Gennai's house. The only place he wanted to be was by Takeru's side. He wanted to be there when Takeru woke up. He could not stand the idea of Takeru waking up in a hospital, afraid and alone.

(Except he was not alone. His parents were there. But this did little to comfort Yamato. _He_ was not there. And he should be.)

A furious tic started in his jaw, almost like a bomb ready to explode. He drummed his fingers against his pant leg, mind whirling, body itching with the desire to run out of this stupid place and back to the hospital.

A warm paw clasped around his right shoulder. "He's going to be ok, Yamato."

Yamato glared at the speaker with red-webbed eyes, but Gabumon's expression was so tender that his boiling anger died down to a simmer. He tore his gaze away. Muttered, "I don't want to be here."

On his left side, Sora squeezed his knee in an attempt to comfort him. "We know."

Maybe she didn't know. Sora wasn't there. She didn't see Takeru jump. She didn't see Piemon or his servants. She didn't hear Sakauchi's voice—mixed with his brother's—when Takeru had been possessed.

But she did see the blood. She saw how pale and thin and _dead_ Takeru looked, draped over Yamato's shoulders like a human backpack.

"Gabumon's right," she murmured, her voice now tentative. "Gennai said this wouldn't take long."

Yamato scowled at the door behind which Gennai was currently located. "I'll give him fifteen minutes."

It was like a funeral—grave faces and awkward silence. But no one was crying. Not anymore, at least.

Yamato had not slept more than an hour in the past thirty-six hours. After his parents had rushed Takeru to the hospital, everyone who battled against Piemon was briefly looked over. Takeru was quickly stabilized—he was severely dehydrated, Jou's father had said. It didn't help that Yamato did not know the last time Takeru got a good night's sleep. Nor did he know the last time Takeru had a good meal, because he hadn't finished the one Yamato cooked up last night.

He fought back a shudder as he thought about the feeling of Takeru's blood smeared across his own clothes. His father made a trip home to grab him a change of fresh, clean clothes—the ones he was presently wearing—while they were at the hospital but the feeling was difficult to shake off.

He risked a quick glance in Hikari's direction. She, too, had changed into a new set of clothes; and she was dozing slightly, leaning against Taichi's shoulder with Tailmon sitting wearily on the floor next to her. Patamon was curled up in Hikari's lap, as reluctant to leave Takeru's side as Yamato had been, but he was somehow seeking comfort in Hikari's presence.

Alongside Yamato's frustration and anger was confusion. Takeru's and Hikari's souls and crests had literally _combined_ and they did not understand the full magnitude of what that meant. He knew Takeru was going to need a long time to recover before he started talking about what transpired. Even if Takeru _was_ physically and mentally healthy enough to be here, Hikari still looked exhausted. She had collapsed the moment they got back to Earth.

_"Your soul was damaged, Hope."_

_"A part of Light's soul resides within his body. You are connected even in death."_

Yamato tried to stifle another shudder.

His gaze swam around the room. Mimi sat with her knees pulled up to her chest across from Yamato, Palmon sitting faithfully by her side. Jou was staring anxiously at the door with a sleeping Gomamon in his lap. Ken was clutching Wormmon to his chest, leaning against a wall that was all glass, dividing the room from the lake that surrounded Gennai's house. Ken's eyes were fluttering as though he was ready to give in to slumber.

Yamato was not sure if anybody besides Hikari had slept at all. Regardless, everyone else looked tired, confused, and doubtful; and they had every right to be. They were all waiting for an explanation. But it was Takeru and Hikari's story to tell, and all Hikari had told them was, "It's over."

Daisuke rubbed his eye, a frown on his face. His voice was uncharacteristically quiet when he asked, "Is Gennai coming back out, or not?"

As if on cue, the door opened and Gennai stepped through. Around him, people began to perk up, but Yamato's automatic instinct was to glare at the being keeping him from his younger brother.

Gennai noticed this immediately and released a long-suffering sigh as he looked directly into Yamato's eyes. "I know you are angry. I'm sorry to pull you away—"

"My brother is hooked up to a bunch of machines in another dimension and I don't know when he will wake up," Yamato said lowly, seething. "And you dragged me here to 'talk about the disturbances.' What if he wakes up all alone, huh? He needs me right now. Yeah, I'm pretty pissed."

Sora squeezed his knee again, trying to soothe him. But Yamato didn't care if he was being rude.

"Hurry up and spit it out, so we can go home," he hissed.

Gennai frowned and was silent only for a heartbeat. "All right. As you would have guessed, the...order to the digital world has been restored. But..."

Yamato's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"The presence I felt all night," he hedged, "was...familiar. One of the Dark Masters."

A collective intake of breath erupted through the room. Hikari whispered, "It was Piemon."

It was the first time she had spoken since she fainted in Taichi's arms several hours ago. Next to her, Tailmon went stiff, but she did not say a word. Patamon's eyes were strangely cold and detached, just like Hikari's voice.

"...only Piemon?"

"Yes," Hikari said quietly.

Yamato scoffed, his fingers curled into fists and he clenched his teeth. Was this all Gennai wanted? To know the source of the disturbances and then confirm that it had been disposed of correctly? Gennai always had a habit of sneaking up when they least expected it, already knowing everything that they did and were going to do. He had been like that since Yamato was eleven years old. And _now,_ over six years later, he suddenly did not know anything?

(Even _Koushiro_ knew better than to ask questions at a time like this. And Koushiro _always_ had questions.)

"You're...sure?"

"You said so yourself that all order had been restored. Isn't that enough proof?" Yamato rounded on him.

"Whoa, whoa, wait," Daisuke said, and he looked at an exhausted Ken as he spoke. "You mean, like, the Dark Masters you told us about all those years ago? That _Piemon?_ "

Yamato pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am not in the mood for this."

"I understand that you are frustrated," Gennai told him. "I just... want to know what _happened—_ "

"I can't _tell_ you what happened," Yamato snapped. "Not right now, not without Takeru. You're going to have to wait, ok? Especially because he and Hikari—"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hikari grow stiff. He stopped, looking down at the floor, still seething. Eventually finished with, "...it's not my story. So leave it be, will you?"

"...I see." Gennai's expression was grim. His eyes then landed on Hikari, but he stayed silent for a few more achingly long moments.

"Was... was it really that bad?" Miyako whispered with wide, glossy eyes before Gennai could speak again. "We saw the blood but..."

She trailed off, and there was no answer, not at first. Hikari hugged Patamon close as though he was her own partner, and Yamato swore he saw a slight tremor in her fingers when she used her other hand to pet Tailmon, who pressed herself against Hikari. "Takeru died."

It was like somebody had fired a gun. Everything was still, and no one dared to breathe.

Then came the response:

Bug eyes. Paralytic terror. Confusion. Tears. Gasps. Pure, all-consuming shock. Patamon looked ready to cry, and Taichi's arm around Hikari's shoulder tightened visibly. Ken, Mimi, and Jou were all looking away with unreadable expressions.

"...wh-what?" Daisuke breathed out in horror.

Yamato worked his jaw. He twitched as an unwanted image of Takeru stepping off the roof of Piemon's house as though there was another step to catch him crossed his mind. And then, they just kept coming:

Takeru lying bloody and unresponsive in his arms; Takeru laughing a laugh that did not belong him; Takeru ( _not Takeru)_ pushing Yamato down to to the ground, taunting him; taunting all of them...

 _"You should have heard him_ scream."

Never had he wanted to leave the digital world so badly. It did not matter what the doctors had said. Yamato needed to get out of here so he could see his brother for himself. Needed to hear the heart monitor, needed to see him breathing.

"Piemon did such _awful_ things to him," Hikari said in the same low, wobbly voice. The tears in her eyes did not fall. "There are not words."

"...I was afraid of that," Gennai started, not without sympathy.

Something in Yamato snapped.

"Do you know what it's like?" he shouted, slamming his hands down onto the wooden floor panels so hard that it sent tingling pinpricks of pain up his fingers. "To have your little brother die _in your arms?_ Do you know how terrifying that is? To see him bleed out, the way I did?"

"Yamato—" Gabumon began quietly.

"No," he went on viciously, shaking his head with a laugh that was empty; "you don't know. You don't know _anything._ And I know that you're curious, because this is your world, and you like to know what happens in it, but...this is _not_ where I should be right now. I'm leaving."

He pushed himself off the floor with so much haste that he almost stumbled. Shook off Sora's delicate hand and Gabumon's comforting, soft paw.

"I knew he was gone," Gennai said, making Yamato freeze in his place.

He whirled around, pinning Gennai with icy blue eyes. "What?"

"His crest was...dead," he went on. "Usually, when a crest is inactive, it still has...some semblance of energy, hidden somewhere deep inside. But in the crest of Hope, all traces of that energy were gone. But then..."

His eyes found Hikari. She did not look up to meet his curious stare.

Realization struck Yamato like he'd been tossed into a cold pool of water. Of course. He wanted to know about Hikari and Takeru's combined crest. Their souls _merged._ As far as Yamato knew, that had never happened before. Gennai must have sensed it, just as he had sensed Piemon's presence.

But it wasn't like Hikari had the answers that Gennai wanted. Their crests disappeared the moment they returned to Earth. And Takeru was nowhere near ready to share his side of the story, damn it.

"Hikari?" Gennai pressed quietly. Patiently.

"Not right now," she muttered hollowly. "I want to wait until Takeru is better. It seems wrong if he is not here."

"She's right," Tailmon added in a tense whisper. "It would not be respectful to talk about him behind his back like that."

"Besides," Patamon said, ears drooping as he echoed Yamato's thoughts: "The crests are gone now."

Yamato's eyes narrowed. Gennai fell silent for a few suspended moments. His expression had been wiped clean, and he gave a brief nod. Repeated, "I see."

"Can we go now?" Yamato hissed through gritted teeth.

A long pause. Gennai said, "Yes."

Gennai said something else, but Yamato was already heading out the door. Gabumon became a small ball of light, signaling that he was evolving, and he did not wait for any of his friends to catch up. His mounted Garurumon, hands gripping his fur tightly as they ascended the stairs, trying to find a portal.

It was stupid to ride on Garurumon's back through the city of Odaiba. They attracted so much unwanted attention. But the only thing on his mind getting to the hospital, and it would have taken three times as long if he walked.

Takeru was not awake yet, his parents told him. Yamato was simultaneously relieved and disappointed. Regardless, he ran across the room, dumping himself into the chair beside Takeru's hospital bed with the grace of a six-year-old, and slipped his hand into his little brother's. Squeezed. Brushed stray hairs out of Takeru's eyes.

Whispered gently, "I'm back."

And he waited.


	2. Connected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the comments and kudos! I meant to have this up a few days ago, but this week has been so busy. thanks for your patience!

**setting:** post-ch 24

* * *

From the moment Tailmon laid eyes on Hikari, she felt drawn to her. She followed her everywhere, out of pure instinct. Through parks, across streets, her apartment (into which Hikari had warmly welcomed her, ignorant of her gruesome intentions—what a strange human Hikari was). When she found out the two were destined to be Chosen partners, she had sworn to protect her, regardless of how dangerous the situation was.

And Hikari had continued to surprise her throughout the years. How frail she was, falling victim to a fever so easily in the digital world when they returned to take down the Dark Masters.

How resilient and stubborn she was, fighting through her sickness and then sticking up for the Numemon when she learned they were enslaved by one of Machinedramon ill-tempered servants.

How inexplicably prideful she became after Tailmon instigated a fight with Ladydevimon, throwing punches every which way; not without screaming twisted, condescending insults no eight-year-old should repeat.

And so vulnerable still, dragged against her will to the Dark Ocean to become the bride of a powerful, foreboding digimon whom to this day, they knew very little about.

And once again, after Piemon returned, with revenge at the front of his mind, holding Takeru's life in his hands. Without hesitation, Hikari had literally pulled herself apart to save him. She brought him back from the sickly fingers of death.

Which was only two months ago. She knew without question that Hikari and Takeru would do anything for each other. But she did not know humans were able to do _that_.

(Although Hikari was not your average human girl.)

Tailmon's gaze swept around the room without hurry and stopped only when her eyes found the boy who was alive because of a miracle. A piece of her partner's soul resided within him. She knew that they were irrevocably connected, even as they drew in their final breath.

Tailmon, now, felt drawn to Takeru; and even though she knew the reasoning behind this, it did not mean she was not baffled by it. It was not unpleasant, but strange. She wondered concisely if Patamon felt the same way.

Tailmon met Takeru's eyes, and for a moment they simply stared at each other in mutual curiosity. It did not take Patamon long to notice this, as he _was_ sitting on Takeru's head as though he was his own personal chair.

Hikari had gone out with Miyako to her family's convenience store to grab some snacks, leaving Tailmon and Poromon only because they did not want to catch public attention. They had done that enough over the summer. Although Tailmon was briefly hurt by this, she did not wish to be stuffed into a bag like an article of clothing. But she did not like being away from Hikari for long periods of time.

"I hope they hurry back," Patamon said at last, frowning slightly. Added wistfully, "I'm hungry."

Tailmon scoffed. She was almost thinking that, in some way, Hikari being away from was...making him uneasy, as it was her? But that was Patamon, as usual, thinking more with his stomach than anything else.

Takeru smirked quietly but said nothing, and then there was a chorus of agreements from the other digimon sitting in the room. Daisuke even added he, too, was famished and could use a good meal. Not that whatever junk food Hikari and Miyako brought home would serve as a good meal. She trusted Hikari would pick something that resembled healthy.

(They should have sent Ken with Miyako instead.)

With a roll of her eyes, Tailmon shook her head. And then, mindlessly, she started moving.

She jumped down from Hikari's bed, across the room, right to where Takeru was sitting. Then she was crawling right into his lap, curling up, without even knowing _why_ she felt the need to do so.

The abruptness of her actions drew a little bit of attention from everyone present, but she did not care. Paid more heed to the way Takeru immediately welcomed her, just as Hikari had all those years ago, when they first met. His hand came to rest on the top of her head, thumb gently scratching the edge of her ear. Just like Hikari would do.

She closed her eyes and began to purr. The uneasy feeling in her chest faded slightly.


	3. Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiii thanks for all the comments & kudos, everyone! I hope you enjoy!! and happy?? almost?? Halloween?? this is cheating cos it's already written lol.

**setting:** between ch 20-23

* * *

The moment the portal opened, darkness swept over the room. It was cold. Suffocating. Nauseating. Taichi's hand on Hikari's shoulder loosened without his consent, and his knees trembled without warning. It was too much. Bile rose in his throat.

"...will close on its own."

The ghost child's voice sounded odd and distorted like she was speaking through a telephone that only picked up every other word. Taichi sucked in a shallow breath, barely able to keep his eyes open. Hikari was stepping through the portal.

_No,_ he wanted to shout, but the word would not leave his lips. _Hikari, wait...!_

The lights strobed intermittently. He tried to push himself forward, to reach his younger sister, but his whole body felt uncomfortably heavy and cold, limbs immobilized for reasons he did not know. Whatever was on the other side of the portal would not allow him to enter. Something was pushing him away. Farther. Farther.

Within a few seconds, the sensation disappeared, and he was left lightheaded and trembling on Yamato's living room floor. The portal was gone.

Oh, no.

_The portal was gone and Hikari was on the other side of it._

For several moments, the room refused to stand still. He blinked repeatedly, trying to catch his breath. A bead of sweat formed on his brow and he could not even wipe it away. Agumon murmured, "Are you ok, Taichi?"

"How _awful,_ " Yamato and Takeru's mother breathed out before he could respond. Her face was incredibly pale. "Did you...did you kids _feel that?_ And Yamato just—and Takeru—I can't believe my boys are in the middle of—oh, they're just _children..._ "

"Natsuko," Ishida-san—Yamato's father—interrupted softly, lips pursed into a thin line. "They're gonna be fine."

But his voice was strained and awkward; he sounded as though he was trying to convince himself, rather than her. Yamato's mother inhaled quiveringly, shaking her head with a laugh that was hollow. "H-how can you say that? Our son has been taken by _ghosts,_ Hiro. They... they want to k-kill my chi—"

Her voice broke again. Without hesitation, Sora was walking over to her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, rubbing comforting circles on her back. Said firmly, "We're strong kids, Takaishi-san. Yamato will pull through. He always does."

"Hey, guys," Daisuke said with a slightly fearful undertone. "Not only did you two get left behind...Ken and Jou are gone."

Wait a second.

Taichi's heart squeezed. Daisuke was right. He and Sora were supposed to go with them. Jou and Ken were not. In a panic, his gaze swept over the room, immediately realizing that Jou and Ken—along with their digimon partners—were not present.

"What the hell happened?" he said, looking at Sora with confused eyes. "I was just—we were supposed to—"

Sora continued to comfort Yamato's mother, but her expression became pensive as she faced him. "I'm not sure. Whatever pulled _them_ through pushed _us_ out."

He frowned, his gaze straying back in the direction of the portal. Hikari was pulled in, without him. They were going to face an unknown enemy, without him. They were going to save Takeru, _without him._

"We need to figure out how to open it again," he said, pushing himself to his feet. Didn't care that he stumbled. "I need to be with Hikari."

"I don't even think there's a _way_ to open a new portal," Koushiro started. "We don't—"

"Then find a way," he snapped.

There was a heavy pause. In the back of his mind, Taichi knew that getting angry would not help the situation. But he didn't care. He couldn't just sit here and wait for them to return. Who knew how long that would take? Who knew what they were up against? Taichi rarely missed out on a battle. He _refused_ to miss out on this one. He needed to be there to help them, damn it.

"...that girl said her brother was the one who pulled Takeru through," Koushiro explained slowly, calmly. "And she is the only one who has an idea of Takeru's location. Even if we could figure out how to create a new portal, we'd have no idea where we're going."

"And she said if too many of us went at once, her Master would sense us," Piyomon added dejectedly. "We don't want to ruin their element of surprise. They'll need any advantage they can get."

Taichi drew in a deep breath. All of that was true, but it didn't make him feel any better. "I can't just stand by and do nothing."

"Do you think..." Daisuke hedged suddenly, before shaking his head. "Wait. Never mind."

Taichi looked at him with sharp eyes. "What were you gonna say?"

He paused, his expression uncharacteristically grim. Daisuke usually radiated energy. "...do you think we can message them on the d-terminals to see if they arrived ok?"

Taichi glanced at Koushiro and then Sora, who both looked extremely thoughtful. Tentomon said tiredly, "It's worth a shot, right, Koushiro-han? Did you bring your computer?"

Koushiro pursed his lips and nodded silently before taking off his backpack. Sora was already fishing out her d-terminal, taking a step away from Yamato and Takeru's mother to open a new draft.

Taichi did the same. He knew Hikari didn't have her d-terminal on her, but _somebody_ had to. Agumon peered curiously over his shoulder as he typed, _Hey, Yamato, Sora and I couldn't make it through. Everyone's ok, right? Keep us updated._

He sent it without looking the message over and looked around the room without focus, hoping for a reply soon. His heart felt awkwardly big and heavy in his chest like his ribcage wasn't strong enough to contain it.

"She's going to be fine," Sora assured him without having to be prompted as she caught his eye. "You know your sister. She's a tough kid."

Taichi sighed. Even though her words were laced with optimism, there was a sliver of uncertainty reflecting in her gaze. "I know she's tough. And I know they've got her back. It's just... we have no idea what that thing is capable of. Those ghosts have already done so much to Takeru..."

He trailed off then, and silence lay between them uninvited, thick and cumbersome. Takeru's mother broke down into sobs again, and she was talking, but Taichi could not understand what she was saying. Sora was patting her shoulder gently, but this time, it did little to help.

His mind bouncing back to a few hours ago, when he walked in the door of his home and heard his little sister screaming. When she'd bolted out of the bathroom like she was being chased. When she'd sobbed openly into his shoulder, telling him that Takeru was in danger...

It was pointless to think about how they could not have seen it. Takeru was a good actor, even if he _wasn't_ being threatened by otherworldly beings. But they were all still kids, and he couldn't help but think about that day he'd sent messages out to all of the younger chosen, and Takeru didn't answer. Things had...exploded since then, without any of them realizing it.

_We should all be there, helping him,_ he thought, gritting his teeth. _That's what a team is_ supposed _to do._

"...just a child," Takeru's mother kept repeating. "No child deserves this..."

A rushed knock on the door. Taichi glanced at Yamato's dad, who was instantly walking toward the source of the sound. When he answered the door, a teary-eyed Miyako and a somber Iori stepped inside, accompanied by Poromon and Upamon.

"What happened?" Miyako demanded immediately. "Hikari said that Takeru..." She stopped, glancing around in horror and confusion. "Where is Hikari? Where did everyone go?"

"You're a little late," Koushiro answered quietly. "...they already left."

"Left?" Iori repeated, concerned. "Left where?"

For a long, suffocating moment, there was no answer. Finally, Sora asked, "Should we show them Yamato's bedroom, Ishida-san?"

Yamato's father nodded after a short pause, raking a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure if I can explain it as well as Yamato did. But..."

"Holy..." Miyako trailed off, stopping cold in her tracks.

"Who...what _did_ this?" Iori asked, looking extremely pale as he looked at the rest of the group.

Taichi caught Sora's gaze again, and then he looked at Koushiro. But once again, nobody had a response. Even Daisuke was silent.

Until: "Remember...remember earlier, what Takeru said? About...what we don't know, could get us killed?"

Miyako blinked, brows furrowing as she met Daisuke's gaze, and she and Iori nodded. But Yamato's father was right: it was difficult to explain without Yamato—and Hikari, nonetheless—here, because they had most of the information. The ghost girl was also with them—and it was her master that they were up against. Not to mention, this would be the third time trying to tell a story that didn't make any sense, no matter how many times it came out.

Still. Ishida-san went on to explain that they had been shut out of Yamato's room, where Takeru had chosen to hide. Daisuke supplied a little information regarding the attack from earlier today before Takeru ran off. Sora and Taichi tried to fill in the blanks. By the time they were finished, both Miyako and Iori were sitting at the small table in the front room, and Takeru's mother was wiping her eyes again.

"...still haven't messaged us back," Koushiro concluded, with a heavy sigh. "I can't pick up any signals from their digivices through the digital portal, either. We are just going to have to wait until they return."

Miyako nodded mutely, soaking it all in. Iori murmured, "Takeru has been haunted by _ghosts."_

"Believe me," Takeru's mother croaked out in a wobbly voice, "it doesn't get any less horrifying, the more you say it."

"They'll come back, though," Poromon chirped, speaking for the first time since the two younger kids arrived. "Don't worry, Takeru's mom."

"Yeah," Upamon added, his voice hopeful. "They always come back! Right, Iori?"

Iori nodded quietly, and Takaishi-san laughed again, but it was the same as before: hollow and wet.

Taichi didn't blame her. Although he was thankful for their digimon's optimism, it was extremely hard to convince himself that they would return unscathed. Since the middle of July, those ghosts and the being whom they served caused so much damage, right underneath their noses. According to the little girl, they would not stop until they had what they wanted—and that was Takeru, for some deranged, unknown reason. And that girl's brother wished to see Takeru _dead._

Taichi's fists clenched at the thought.

"You've got to think, Natsuko," Ishida-san said suddenly, pulling Taichi away from his thoughts. "Yamato and the rest of his friends are out there, searching for him. And you know damn well Yamato won't stop until Takeru is found."

_...he's got a point there,_ Taichi mused silently.

_"Takeru is your brother, yes?"_

_"He means the world to me."_

"Yeah," she replied in a hoarse whisper. "Yamato has always been so protective of him."

"Protective is an understatement," Sora muttered, not without affection.

"He promised he would bring him back in one piece," Agumon said, before looking at Taichi with kind eyes. "Takeru would want you to be hopeful, wouldn't he, Taichi?"

"He's got the crest of Hope for a reason," Taichi muttered, with a hint of a smile. He glanced down at his d-terminal, but his inbox was still empty. He released a long-suffering sigh, chewing the inside of his lip. "We're not trying to be pessimistic, Agumon. Honestly, that's the last kind of impression I want to give. It's just... scary, not knowing where they are or what's going on. They still haven't answered our messages." He paused. "I'll try again."

"Maybe..." Daisuke started before Taichi could follow through with it, with his brows furrowed as though in concentration. "Earlier, when we were stranded in the desert, we couldn't send any messages. Maybe—"

"Of course," Koushiro interrupted, hands coming down to smack the table as a sudden thought struck him. "Whoever...whatever is after Takeru—whatever is creating those disturbances Gennai warned us about—must have constructed some sort of...barrier or wall that prevents the others from getting signals." He frowned, looking back at Daisuke. "They probably don't even know that we _sent_ messages."

"And...and they can't tell you if they're ok," Takaishi-san breathed out, puffy eyes filling with tears again. "Which means they could... they could be hurt and we wouldn't k-know—"

This time, it was Miyako who stood up. She rushed toward Yamato's mother, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her in a full-on hug, just as Sora had done earlier. Tears filled her eyes as well.

"Takaishi-san, don't cry," she said in a choked voice. "Your kids are gonna be ok. Don't cry..."

Taichi felt his throat close up. Takeru and Yamato's parents had every reason to worry. Despite the hopeful attitudes of their partners, it all boiled down to this: both of their sons were out there, with no guarantee that they would return alive. And here they were, just making it worse. And he couldn't help but think of Hikari... and Jou... and Tak—

"You should sit down, Natsuko," Ishida-san said abruptly. "You've been standing awhile."

"I can't _sit down,_ Hiro," she snapped, looking at him with glossy, red-webbed eyes. "Why are you so calm? Don't you understand that this other world has _monsters?_ Monsters that want our boys _dead?"_

"Of course I understand that," he replied, his tone becoming slightly heated. "You don't think I'm worried? You think I _want_ our kids to be risking their lives in some other dimension? Absolutely not! But Yamato... Yamato _and_ Takeru wouldn't be wanting us to worry ourselves sick, all right? Maybe they're up against something...fucking terrifying, but those kids have so much power on their side, too. You've seen that firsthand. So... please, just sit down. You've been working all day, right? You need to rest. Those kids are going to want a mother to come home to."

Yamato's mother's chin trembled, and a few stray tears cascaded down her cheeks. Eventually, she nodded, and Miyako and Sora led her to the small table. Ishida-san said, "Have you eaten? Yamato...he cooked something earlier. It's in the fridge, but I can heat some up for you."

She swallowed and then offered a strained smile. "...That would be nice. Thank you."

He nodded slowly. "Is anyone else hungry?"

Taichi shook his head and saw his friends do the same. He was too riled up to eat. But he heard Agumon make some strange noise, and couldn't help but smirk. "Agumon is starving."

"...what?" Agumon said in defense. "Yamato's cooking is tasty!"

Soft rounds of laughter ricocheted around the small apartment, but Agumon's comment was echoed by many other digimon. It wasn't long before they were all following Ishida-san into the kitchen.

Then Taichi said, "Say, Ishida-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Would...would you like some help cleaning up Yamato's room?"

Daisuke added, "He's probably going to need a place to crash when he comes back."

Yamato's father rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, trying not to step on any digimon as he retrieved some plates from the cabinet. "That...would be appreciated. Thanks, kids."

Taichi stood up from the floor without hesitation. Daisuke mirrored his actions, and Sora was already heading toward Yamato's bedroom. Iori offered politely, "I can help with the dishes if you'd like."

"You don't have to do that," Ishida-san said immediately with a shake of his head.

"No, really, it's fine," Miyako said. "We need something to help pass the time. Put us to work."

He looked uncertain, for a few moments. The microwaved beeped, signaling that the food was (supposed to be) ready to serve. "Well...if you're sure."

Sora glanced at Taichi and then back at Yamato's father with a gentle smile. "We're sure."

* * *

Between the four of them—Taichi, Daisuke, Sora, and Ishida-san—putting Yamato's room back together took a little under an hour. Explaining the scrapes on the wall and the door from Yamato's bed frame was not going to fun to explain to the landlord, Ishida-san's expression told them. But besides that and the small scrape on Yamato's guitar, there didn't seem to be much damage.

(How those ghouls had managed to lift and flip Yamato's bed was beyond Taichi. But they were demented and powerful spirits, that was for sure.)

Miyako and Iori had finished the dishes and offered to clean the rest of the kitchen after Takaishi-san and their digimon partners were finished eating, if only for something to do. Koushiro went back and forth between offering to help and checking his email, hoping to hear something from their friends or maybe Gennai. Even though it was past one in the morning, none of them had heard any news.

This was beyond unsettling. Especially because everyone was beat. In the corner of the room, their partners were dozing. Yamato's mother had her chin propped up on her hand, but her eyes were closed.

Ishida-san's eyes raked the room slowly, working his jaw. It was obvious he was thinking the same thing, because he rubbed his right eye tiredly, expelling a heavy sigh. "As much as I know how impossible this is gonna be, you kids should get some rest. It's really late."

Taichi chewed his lip, and no one responded immediately. Yamato's father left the room briefly, and when he returned, he was carrying an armful of blankets. Said, "We, um. We keep spare blankets around because Takeru usually gets cold easy when he stays..." A dark expression crawled over his face, but only for a few moments. As soon as the look was gone, he added, "I know there isn't a lot of space to lie down but...you kids are welcome to them."

Taichi looked around the room again with heavy eyes. Koushiro was still bent over his laptop (which by now was plugged in to charge the battery—he'd moved to a spot close to an outlet), but he did not seem as focused as he was earlier. Sora was currently looking down at her own d-terminal as if expecting a message at any moment. Iori was sitting in Ishida-san's recliner, not quite asleep, but looking very close to it. Miyako was flipping through an old newspaper, but there was a hazy look in her eyes that told Taichi she wasn't really reading it. Daisuke sat up against the wall, head resting on his knees. Taichi couldn't tell if he'd already drifted off into slumber.

They were bored, exhausted, and worried.

Slowly, Yamato's father placed a blanket on Yamato's mother's shoulders, patting her shoulder when she jolted awake in surprise. He murmured, "You can take Yamato's bed if you want."

"Hiroaki, I'm not—" she began tiredly.

"I'll wake you if anything happens," he assured her gruffly. "Get some rest."

There was a long moment of hesitance, where she held his gaze evenly. Reluctantly, she sighed and murmured, "All right."

She stood up from the chair, making her way toward Yamato's bedroom. But she did not close the door, probably in fear of not being able to hear news whenever it came. Yamato's father turned to Taichi, saying, "Here."

He didn't have time to object before he was handed a blanket as well. Chewing the inside of his cheek, all he could say was, "Thanks."

He nodded. Taichi couldn't deny, it was hard to keep his eyes open. He didn't even know how long he had been up. But even though they all looked like they could use some much-needed rest, Taichi felt guilty for having such thoughts. Wherever Hikari and the others were, they weren't sleeping. They were probably in danger. They were probably...

Probably...

"Taichi," Koushiro called quietly. Suddenly.

Taichi blinked, sitting up instantly. "What? Is it—"

"No," he said, with a weary sigh. "I was just going to tell you, sleeping like that isn't going to feel pleasant later. You should find a comfortable spot if you're going to sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep," he said, frowning.

"I wasn't born yesterday," Koushiro muttered, before looking back at his computer screen. "Your head was getting ready smack the table."

Taichi tried to ignore the way his face warmed. He looked away, grumbling under his breath, lacking the energy to deny it any further.

Koushiro said softly, "I'll let you know if they send a message."

"Aren't you going to need sleep?"

He shrugged. "Staying up late is a normal occurrence for me."

"That isn't healthy," Taichi said, sluggishly moving from his chair to the floor.

"I didn't say it was."

Taichi sat down next to his friend, barely realizing that Sora and Miyako were spreading out a thin blanket on which they could lay. It was a little cramped, but...they'd been through worse. Ishida-san sat down at the now vacant table, rubbing his temple.

"You drink coffee?" he asked, probably directing the question toward Koushiro.

"Not often. I prefer tea," his friend answered, and after a pause, he added, "But if coffee is what you're offering, it would be rude to decline."

Ishida-san laughed, and Taichi heard rustling. He folded his arms into a makeshift pillow, resting his cheek on the back of his forearm, and allowed his eyes to drift shut. Once again, it was not the most comfortable position, but he was exhausted, and it was definitely better than being outside like when they were stranded in the digital world all those years ago...

Someone tapped on his shoulder. Taichi's eyelids fluttered but he did not open them. Instead, he buried his head further into the crook of his arm, mumbling nonsense, and stirred once more when the pressure on his shoulder increased.

"...guys, guys, guys, guys, _GUYS_ —"

Taichi gasped, bolting upright. "What? What's wrong?"

Noise burst around them, from all directions: everyone was starting to panic, and Taichi did not know why. His eyes found Daisuke first, who was extremely pale. He was pointing shakily at the empty space next to Taichi. Confused, Taichi's gaze slid over—

Light swept over them. Agumon was in front of him all of a sudden, pushing him backward. Fear gripped Taichi so quickly, so violently that he felt dizzy, and he flew back against the wall in pure shock. "Wh-what the—"

A little girl stood next to him, with honey-brown eyes and thick dark curls. It took Taichi only a few moments to realize that it was the little girl from earlier; the one who had taken his friends to save Takeru. But she was absolutely different: there was color in her cheeks, her face looked fuller, and she was giggling.

_There was a ghost giggling at him._

"They have done it," she exclaimed before he had the opportunity to speak. "Master is dead! Sakauchi is saved!"

Who was Sakauchi? And what did she mean, he was...?

_What?_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Taichi gasped out, right as Yamato's father came back in the room with a tired Takaishi-san on his heel. "What do you mean?"

"Master is dead," she repeated, eyes sweeping over the room as though taking in all of their reactions.

"You mean...Takeru and Yamato are—?" Takaishi-san started, a relieved smile breaking out on her face.

Despite only being awake for a few moments, Taichi felt the terror bubble in his chest shift into excitement. All traces of fatigue had vanished in the span of several seconds. Whoever this "master" was, they had defeated it. That meant Takeru was ok, right? Hikari was ok. Everyone was ok.

"I do not have much time," the girl went on, pulling him away from his thoughts. It was strange, seeing her expression change so quickly. "Master's lair has been destroyed, and all of the spirits have been cleansed. I must get back to my brother. But your friends...they are going to need a portal back to Earth."

Koushiro was already opening his laptop (when had he closed it?) and began typing away. His dark eyes blew wide. "She's right—the wall is gone! Their digivice signals are now showing up! I can see their location!"

Daisuke let out a victorious cry. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get them back here!"

"I can create one last portal for you," the girl said, "if they are ready. But you will have to hurry."

Koushiro nodded. "I'm going to shoot them a message."

Taichi hurriedly moved to his side, one hand clamping down on his shoulder. The clock on the corner of his screen read 6:02 a.m. Koushiro's fingers flew over his keyboard, and he hit send before Taichi even had a chance to read it. Not that it mattered. He waited with bated breath for a response, and out of the corner of his eye, the little girl's figure flickered like static.

A loud beep sounded through the room.

_We're all safe now, and we're bringing Takeru home,_ Jou had sent.

Taichi relayed the message out loud without hesitation, and he felt like laughing with relief. A huge weight seemed to be lifted out of the whole room; the air itself felt lighter.

Koushiro typed out, "Stand your ground. We're going to open a portal." Then he nodded in the ghost's direction, and she extended her arm as if to reach toward something Taichi could not see. She tapped the air as though it was tangible, and this time, when the space in the middle of the room rippled like water in the ocean, there was no sickening darkness. Just waves upon waves of data, and when the small child faded into the unknown twelve familiar humans and digimon stood in her place.

The first person he located was Hikari. She was grey in the face and looked extremely disheveled, but he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her anyway, squeezing her small frame as tightly as he could.

Everyone was almost screaming. Despite this, he heard Hikari say in a hoarse voice, "It's over, Nii-san."

"Good," he said around a wobbly chuckle.

Her body went still against his, signaling that she had lost consciousness. Taichi's eyes popped wide upon realizing this, and he shifted her weight so he could catch another glimpse of her face. "Hikari? Hey, Hika...Hikari—"

"Oh, my god, Yamato," Yamato's mother said, her voice tight and almost inaudible compared to the noise surrounding them. "Is that _blood?_ "

Everyone quieted immediately. Without releasing his sister, Taichi's head snapped up to find the blond boy. At first, when he saw Yamato, who was carrying Takeru, he saw no such thing. He almost didn't realize that Takeru was not awake. But when he started to move closer, he saw dark red streaks.

Indeed there was blood, and Takeru was covered in it. His clothes were tattered beyond repair, and he was as pale as Hikari was.

The relief in Taichi's chest shifted to dread.

"We gotta get 'im to a hospital," Yamato demanded instantly. " _Now."_

His father was already reaching for a set of keys. "Ok, let's go. I can take—"

"No," Yamato snapped, his grip on his brother tightening almost possessively. He didn't seem to care that his entire body was trembling. "I got him."

"But—"

Yamato shook his head frantically. "I said, _I've got him._ "

"...ok," Ishida-san said after several heartbeats of tense silence, with a brief nod. Yamato wasn't giving him a choice. "C'mon."

"We should take Hikari, too," Taichi said loudly, not hesitating to follow Yamato. "She's fainted."

"All right. Let's get them to the van. Hurry, hurry, hurry—"

It only took a few minutes to do so. By the time they made it to the parking lot, it was decided that everyone involved in the battle was to be at least looked over at the hospital, even if they protested. Everyone who could fit piled into Yamato's father's van and Takeru and Yamato's mother offered to take the remaining kids, even though it was obvious that she wanted to be in the same vehicle as her children.

Yamato went in first, sliding Takeru into the seat behind the driver's side as though he was made of glass. Then he was climbing in beside him, eyes never leaving Takeru's face.

With Agumon and Sora's help, Taichi gently placed Hikari in the seat beside him. She did not look physically harmed, but regardless, they tried to be as careful as possible when they buckled her in. The lack of color in Hikari's cheeks was extremely unsettling. When everyone was in safely, Ishida-san closed the van door and hastily made his way toward the driver's side to start the vehicle.

"...Takeru's gonna be ok, Yamato. Jou said he's just exhausted."

It was Gabumon who had spoken, and in such a low voice that Taichi almost hadn't heard him. But it was obvious Yamato did, because he pulled Takeru's head to his chest, holding him close, and murmured hollowly, "Yeah."

Tokomon whined in Gabumon's arms, looking near-tears as he said, "But humans aren't supposed to look _grey._ "

Another wave of dread pulsed through Taichi when he saw Yamato squeeze Takeru's hand, lips pursed into a thin line. "I know."

Something in Taichi's blood said it didn't matter that they had won the battle against ghosts haunting Takeru. He knew better than to ask what exactly had happened. Seeing the way Yamato held Takeru—seeing the blood smeared across Takeru's skin and clothes, and Hikari's ashen face—told Taichi that there was a whole new battle awaiting them soon.

It wasn't going to be pretty.


	4. Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiii tysm for the comments & kudos!! **tw/cw for implied self-harm.**

**setting:** ch 18

* * *

"What is it, Jou?" Yamato rounded on him instantly as his father guided a shaky Takeru away from them. "Do you see Takeru right now? I don't have time—"

"I know," Jou interrupted with a quick nod. "I'll keep it short. I promise."

The heavy glare in Yamato's icy blue eyes dimmed somewhat, but he still looked incredibly pissed. He crossed his arms over his chest with a frown that screamed impatience, shifting his weight onto his good leg. "I'm listening."

Jou's eyes weaved over to where Takeru was, and his heart squeezed a little when he saw Takeru looking back at him with uneasy, panicked eyes. It was a terrible sight, seeing him so frightened. Just like their first trip to the digital world, when Takeru was seven years old again, too young, too vulnerable, with kids not much older than him to look after him. His watery, broken plea from a few minutes ago echoed in his head:

_"You didn't tell him, did you?"_

_"_ Please _, Jou. Please don't."_

Jou had witnessed panic attacks before. Hell, he'd experienced them _himself_. He knew exactly how terrifying they could be, and Takeru should not have to sit through another one by himself. Nobody deserved that.

And keeping the marks he saw on Takeru's arms a secret was not a good idea. It was dangerous. It was not going to help Takeru in any way, shape, or form. It was only going to make things worse. For Takeru, and for his family.

But Takeru seemed so desperate and fearful. And it was not Jou's secret to share. He did not want to break Takeru's trust.

(He also did not want Yamato to bite his head off. And Yamato looked ready to do so. Jou was a dead man walking if he kept this kind of information from him.)

"Jou?" Gomamon whispered curiously from his place by Jou's feet.

"I think Takeru's been having panic attacks," he said after a short pause.

Yamato's response was immediate: his eyes popped; his whole body went still. But the shock faded and the glare returned in just a few moments. "Well, I can see that. He wouldn't even let us touch him—"

"No, not just now," Jou went on. "Frequently. He was hyperventilating and he said—" He stopped, caught with indecision. "You should watch him for a while."

"Are you trying to tell me how to look after my little brother?" Yamato asked in a dangerously calm voice, with his eyes narrowed. "I know how to look after _my own little brother,_ Jou."

"I know, I know! I wasn't saying that. Just—gah—" He rubbed his forehead, which was caked with sweat. It was too hot. He was baking underneath the summer sun. He didn't know where he was going with this. He'd already promised Takeru, and what a stupid choice that had been. How was he supposed to tell Yamato that Takeru was harming himself without actually _saying it?_ What if Takeru did it again, behind Yamato's back? What if he—?

"Spit it out already," Yamato demanded.

"Hey, don't yell at him," Gomamon snapped with a glare of his own.

"No, it's fine, Gomamon," Jou said hurriedly. "I just. Yamato... Takeru is _not_ ok. Mentally. He's in... a dangerous situation. I... I don't think you should leave him alone—"

"God, Jou, what does that even _mean?_ What are you trying to tell me?"

Jou hesitated. He opened his mouth twice. Once to spill what he knew. Another time to deny it. But before any words could come out, though, Yamato's father was walking over to them with a grim look on his face.

Oh, no. Jou's first thought was, _Takeru's going to run off again without somebody there to watch him._ Which would not be good at all. Only a moment later did he realize that Gabumon had stayed behind, which offered a little relief. Gabumon would keep him safe.

"Hey, kid, you have to actually _use these_ if you want your ankle to get better," Yamato's father said instantly, forcing the crutches into Yamato's arms. Then he faced Jou. "I'll take you home if you want. But we gotta go. Takeru needs to get somewhere cool. He's probably got a sunburn—"

"Yeah, ok, we're going," Yamato said with a nod. "Let's go, Jou."

Jou had no choice but to obey. He wasn't going to deny him, either. Not with Takeru like this. And even if he _did_ say something else, if he did tell Yamato to wait, it wasn't like Yamato would listen to him. Takeru was always Yamato's first priority.

"Should we call Koushiro and the others?" was what came out instead as they hurried toward Ishida-san's van.

Yamato released a heavy groan. "Damn. I forgot about them."

"I can—"

"No, it's not a big deal. I'll call him," Yamato muttered, but the expression on his face told Jou he was not happy about it. He stopped only to fish his phone out of his pocket. "Ugh, hold on. I have to—"

He was struggling to dial Koushiro's number now that he was leaning on his crutches for support. Jou started to offer something, but Yamato was already pissed. He wasn't going to add fuel to the flame. He knew from past experience how bad of an idea _that_ was.

Yamato kept the conversation with Koushiro short. Which was really hard to do, because Koushiro had a burning curiosity that never died. He asked more questions than anybody Jou knew.

(Yamato was the most impatient person Jou knew, however.)

Seconds later, they were moving toward Ishida-san's van, and Takeru looked just as anxious as he did before. Takeru's haunted eyes captured Jou's in an instant, and Jou found himself unable to keep his gaze.

It didn't matter. Yamato said, "Hey, Teek, you're not too hot, are you? The air's cool enough for you? Or is it too cold?"

"It's fine," Takeru murmured robotically in a hoarse voice, shrinking away from Yamato's outstretched fingers and looking toward the window. He tucked his arms closer to himself almost protectively.

Yamato looked incredibly hurt, for a split second. But he nodded, and nobody else dared to speak again for the rest of the ride.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr!](https://digidestinedninjaofsunshine.tumblr.com)


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